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USPS Signature Confirmation is an add-on for parcels, not letters: you pay a small extra fee, and the carrier collects a signature at delivery and stores it as an electronic record. It is different from Certified Mail, which is the signature service for letters.
Parcels. It is available as an add-on to USPS parcel services like Priority Mail and Ground Advantage, and it has to be requested and paid for at the time of mailing: you cannot add it to a package that is already in transit. It is not available for plain First-Class letters or postcards, and that is the single most common point of confusion. If you are mailing a letter and want a signature on delivery, the service you want is Certified Mail, which is built for letters and includes its own signature record.
Electronically. The carrier collects the signature on a handheld device at the door, and the record goes into USPS tracking: you can look up the tracking number afterward and see the delivery confirmation with the signature on file. There is no paper green card mailed back to you, which is how Certified Mail's return receipt works for letters. One practical consequence: the person signing does not have to be the addressee. Anyone at the address can sign, which proves the package was delivered to that address, not necessarily into the right hands. If you need the named recipient and only the named recipient, that is a different, stricter service.
| Signature Confirmation | Certified Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Parcels | Letters and flats |
| Signature record | Electronic, viewable in tracking | Electronic, plus optional paper return receipt |
| Who can sign | Anyone at the address | Anyone at the address (restricted delivery adds the named-recipient option) |
| Proof of mailing | Not included by itself | Included: the certified receipt proves you mailed it |
Think of it this way: Signature Confirmation answers "did someone at that address sign for the package," while Certified Mail answers that plus "I have a receipt proving I mailed this letter on this date." For legal or official correspondence, that proof-of-mailing piece is usually the part that matters most.
Yes. Adult Signature Confirmation requires the signer to be 21 or older and show ID, and it is used for age-restricted shipments sent through eligible parcel services. It costs more than the standard version, and a failed delivery attempt leaves the usual notice for redelivery or pickup. If your item does not have an age restriction, the standard version is the right pick: paying for the adult tier on ordinary goods buys you nothing.
Canada Post sells signature as an add-on for many of its parcel services, and some premium services include it by default. The mechanics are the same: the carrier collects a signature, and the record appears in tracking. If you are shipping with a Canada Post Xpresspost label, check whether signature is included or needs to be added at purchase, since it varies by how the label was bought.
Letters cannot use Signature Confirmation, but they have their own tracked options. Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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